The Do's and Don'ts for CV Writing​

Updated on 10/12/24

​Your CV is often the first thing your potential employer will see that tells them about you, making it one of the most crucial tools in your job search arsenal.

A well-crafted and high-quality CV can open doors to exciting opportunities, while a poorly written one (with lots of spelling and grammar mistakes) can very quickly close them. But with so much advice out there, how do you know what really works when it comes to CV writing? Luckily for you, we're here to help!

In this blog, we’ll break down the do’s and don’ts of CV writing to help you stand out from the competition, and help you get that all-important first interview.

But, first things first....

What Actually Is a CV?

To put it simply, a CV, abbreviated from the word 'curriculum Vitae', is a detailed document that outlines your professional and academic history, skills, achievements, and qualifications.

The term "curriculum vitae" means "course of life" in Latin, and true to its name, it provides a comprehensive summary of your career journey.

Is a Resume the Same as a CV?

Many people assume a resume is the same thing as a CV, and while indeed they are similar, they are in fact two different types of documents.

A CV is typically more detailed, usually spanning one to two pages, and provides a comprehensive overview of your education, work experience, skills, and achievements. A CV is the standard document used for most job applications in the UK, regardless of the industry or role level.

On the other hand, a resume, which is more common in the US and some other countries, is shorter—often limited to one page—and focuses primarily on key accomplishments and results rather than a full career history.

Need additional help writing your CV? Give us a call on 02920 220078, we'd love to help! And if you'd like to start your journey with us today, please submit your CV here.

A resume and a CV (curriculum vitae) are both documents used to showcase your skills, experience, and qualifications, but they differ in purpose, format, and length.The Do's and Don'ts for CV Writing​

Now we know exactly what it is, here are our top 6 do's and don'ts when it comes to CV writing...

1. Don't - Be Too Fancy

You always want to stand out when making your CV, so it can be tempting to go all out when designing your resumé. You don’t have to. When we work with you, we reformat your CV to its core details, which gives everyone an equal chance before an employer. Companies often don’t want to see anything too fancy either – just the basic information will do with sensible headers. You can leave out formatting with tables, too.

There’s an exception to the rule, however. If you’re in the creative industry, we want to see you shine! Put your best foot forward and impress us with your design skills.

2. Do - Be Detailed

If you’ve seen a job role you like the look of, make sure you match the job criteria by reflecting it on your CV. There might be many things you’ve done in the past that you can highlight on your application and making sure you’re fully aware of what the role entails can help prompt you to add to your resumé.

Make sure you’re specific about the technical elements of your previous roles and match it perfectly to the job specification. If you can back up your CV with any figures, even better!

3. Don't - Add a Picture of Yourself

Like we said with the fun formats, basic is better. You don’t need to put a photo of yourself on your CV, and they won’t make it to our clients when we reformat your CV. But if you do add a photo, be sure to keep it professional and save the pouting selfies for your Instagram story!

It’s worth remembering that adding a photo can work against you if you submit your application elsewhere. Unconscious bias occurs when people hold beliefs about any subset of people, whether that’s for positive or negative, and allow these thoughts to influence their decisions.

Having your photo on your CV could put you at risk of unconscious bias from an employer making a decision about you based on your appearance. We work with employers to remove unconscious bias in their hiring processes and provide our clients with the most diverse shortlist possible. We can also provide redacted CVs and support our clients to ensure their recruitment practices are fair and to promote them as inclusive employers.

We’re committed to equal opportunity and diversity and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. We’re also a Disability Confident employer and have pledged to Zero Racism Wales as part of our mission to make recruitment as inclusive and accessible as possible.

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For jobs where your appearance may be relevant, such as modelling, acting, or customer-facing roles, including a photo is expected, but this is not the same for all industries.

4. Do - Keep It Real

Hopefully, you know this anyway, but please don't lie on your CV to make it sound good – you never know when you’ll be caught out.

Don't say you can speak Italian or play the trombone as guaranteed there's a trombone in the office waiting for you to perform. You might just get asked about these things in an interview and lying about things automatically shows a lack of integrity which never puts you in a good light.

5. Don't - Forget to Proofread

You might have the best experience for the job, but the make and break can be the small things. Before submitting your CV, make sure you double-check for spelling mistakes, wrong contact details, or email addresses that look unprofessional, especially if you’re updating your CV for the first time in a while. You never know what might put someone off – and you never want to let all your hard work go to waste for something minor!

6. Do - Keep It Concise

Last but not least, it's really important to keep your CV concise. This is because recruiters and employers will often spend only a few seconds scanning each CV during the initial review, so you want to make sure that your CV is clear and easy to read, allowing them to quickly find the most relevant information.

If a CV is long and cluttered, it can very easily overwhelm the reader and bury your key achievements and skills, so, make sure you only include the important points and leave out any unnecessary details that don’t add value or directly relate to the role you’re applying for.

How We Can Help at Yolk Recruitment

Got your CV ready? Find your next role here or get in touch with our consultants to review your CV. We’d love to work together to find you your next job.

And for more career advice & tips, check out our regularly updated recruitment blog, including articles such as 'How much do qualifications matter?' & 'Surviving job loss'.